[Surrey, England] In the early morning of Friday, April 2, 1999, practitioners from Devon, Wales, Oxford, Liverpool, Birmingham and London arrived to attend a four-day retreat in Surrey.

In addition to following the international retreat guidelines regarding many hours of diligent meditation, fellow initiates also volunteered for the kitchen crew. The cuisines of many different countries were represented on the menu, including Western, Jamaican, South American and Oriental dishes. Even though many were novices in the art of cooking, the initiates enjoyed the learning experience and took to it "like ducks to water". Many brought with them homemade delicacies as a contribution to the meals. With the entertainment on the evenings of the third and fourth days, everyone's body, mind, and spirit was very satisfied.

At the end of the retreat, many initiates commented on the feelings of joy, calm and light that pervaded their consciousness after four days of meditation. One Chinese practitioner said that a year ago, while still in mainland China, he had had a dream that he was meditating in a room with a Jamaican brother. He now realized that the room in his dream was indeed the Surrey Center.

After four days of being nourished with light and sound, the practitioners returned home, suffused with light, laughter and joy. Those who felt the deep spiritual vibrations present at the Center were so reluctant to leave that they stayed an extra day before finally making their way home.